Monday, October 13, 2008

We Need Both!

Yesterday I quoted some posts about the danger of spiritual dryness arising from Theology that is separated from spiritual experience. You know, it goes both ways. Spiritual experience separated from a firm and accurate grasp of the great truths of the Bible is also a recipe for spiritual disaster and open to error and spiritual danger.

We see the danger of both extremes all around us. I remember sitting under a fantastic teaching by Dr. R.C Sproul at a Presbyterian Church on the Doctrine of God's Aseity (His self existence) from the Exodus passage where Moses is told God is I AM. I was so fired up after that deep message that I wanted to run the pews when he was done. Instead, I had to endure "turn to Hymn number 132" followed by a formal and non-emotional rendition of a hymn. On the other hand I recently heard a "message" by a teacher in the prophetic movement that consisted entirely of the telling of personal dreams, vision and experiences with God without a single Bible verse or even a mention of the great truths of the Gospel. And this poor pathetic excuse for a Christian sermon came immediately after a stirring time of musical worship in which people seemed to connect to the Lord and experience His presence. How about combining that worship time with the Sproul teaching time? I want both doctrine and experience! I want teaching and worship!

Why do churches an individual believers seem so prone to fall into the ditches on either side of the straight and narrow road? Why do we seem to always separate things that God meant to be kept together? Why can't we believe in and practice spiritual gifts and also teach hermeneutics and homiletics? Why can't we have churches with both Theological teaching and sound Bible exposition combined with passionate worship and the experience of God's presence?

What God has joined together men should not put asunder.

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